Tall of stature, clad in red robes, with long black hair.
Sword-like brows, starry eyes, and a cold, austere expression.
Even though his complexion was completely different, the familiar facial features still allowed Diaosou and Zihou to recognize the newcomer.
The Master of Penghu Lake in the Myriad Immortals Association—Demonic Lord Qingyang!
Yet the thunderous might with which he had instantaneously slain Ghost Spirit Child still left them in utter disbelief.
When had Qingyangzi, known for his skill in artifact crafting, become so formidable?
Zihou hesitated. "Qingyangzi—Luo Hai?"
Luo Chen held the octagonal pavilion in his palm, calmly looked over, and gave a slight nod.
"Fellow Daoist Zihou, we have not met in years. You are as radiant as ever!"
Receiving confirmation, the purple-robed young woman grew even more alarmed, though she swiftly composed herself and forced a smile. "This concubine cannot compare to Fellow Daoist. You are far more imposing than in the past!"
Far more imposing? It was an earth-shattering transformation.
Ghost Spirit Child had stood alongside them as one of the Myriad Immortals Association's three Eight-Star Demon Hunters for many years, serving as one of the Demon Hunting Department's de facto rulers.
In age, he was several decades their senior.
His cultivation stage was on par with theirs.
In terms of combat methods, he was even more seasoned and deft, bizarre and unpredictable.
Under such circumstances, a single probing clash had resulted in him being obliterated by Luo Chen.
In that brief glimpse just now, Ghost Spirit Child had barely activated his defensive magic treasure before being kicked into smithereens.
This alone demonstrated the terrifying extent of Luo Chen's prowess!
"Fellow Daoist Luo, your body refinement cultivation truly exceeds this old man's imagination!"
Diaosou's voice drifted over slowly, heavy with deep wariness.
No matter how highly he had once estimated Luo Chen's body refinement attainments, seeing it in person proved that he had still vastly underestimated him.
To kick to death an existence of the same cultivation stage was no longer the realm of a Rank Three body refiner.
Could it be...
Luo Chen said calmly, "I enjoy no protection from any True Person. If not for this body refinement prowess, how could I dare tread lightly into the Sunken Sea? Diaosou, wouldn't you agree?"
Diaosou's lips twitched as his gaze fell upon the octagonal pavilion resting on Luo Chen's palm.
"This item was obtained only after the three of us expended immense effort, specifically ambushing Yu Gao and his group when they released it to harvest the spiritual herbs and had no time to recall it. To achieve that, we waged a massive struggle and exhausted multiple contingency measures. Now, taking it with a mere claim of fated affinity—isn't that crossing the line?"
"Crossing the line?" Luo Chen countered.
Diaosou nodded. "Very much so!"
Luo Chen gave a faint laugh. "When you committed murder to seize treasures, you didn't feel it crossed any line. Now, I am merely following your example. It is only natural."
Diaosou's face darkened.
His wrinkled old visage clouded over, sullen enough to drip water.
In his grip, the black-gold fishing rod began to quiver slightly.
The bell hanging from the rod jingled crisply.
Hearing the bell, Luo Chen raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Thinking of making a move?"
"A contest of skill must be settled, after all..."
Before the words finished falling, Diaosou whipped his fishing rod, and the withered, charred Tiancan Thread traced an imperceptible trajectory through the air.
Sizzling shrieks ripped through the air as if the very void were being sliced apart.
Snap!
Under Diaosou's astonished gaze, Luo Chen slowly reached out, then suddenly clamped his hand shut in midair.
He had caught the end of the Tiancan Thread bare-handed.
With a few swift twists of his palm, he wrapped the Tiancan Thread around his hand instead.
"This..."
It occurred so abruptly.
Diaosou had genuinely never imagined that anyone would dare seize his magic treasure with bare hands.
Luo Chen's gaze rested on the charred thread. "Every time I have seen you use this magic treasure, you have always reeled in large prey. I wonder if it can reel me in as well?"
Beneath his Daoist robes, corded muscles surged in rippling layers, channeling terrifying brute strength into the grip.
He was attempting to snap the Tiancan Thread in two by sheer force!
Feeling the wails transmitting through the mind-linked magic treasure, Diaosou grew frantic.
He struck the black-gold fishing rod.
"Let go!"
A vibration bearing a distinctive rhythm rippled down the rod and surged onto the Tiancan Thread.
The horrifying slicing force surged anew, drawing fine bloody tracks across even Luo Chen's incomparably resilient palm.
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow and granted his wish.
The Tiancan Thread whizzed back.
However, at the very tip of the thread, a wisp of azure flame was burning furiously.
Visible to the naked eye, the Tiancan Thread was rapidly crumbling away.
"Qingyangzi, you!"
Diaosou let out an enraged cry, bit the tip of his tongue, and spat.
Pfft!
A mouthful of tongue-tip essence blood showered the Tiancan Thread, forcibly snuffing out the azure flame and barely preserving half of the special thread.
Right at that moment, an explosive blast detonated.
To Diaosou's horror, Luo Chen had already closed the distance, driving forward with an elbow strike followed by a thrusting palm.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, Diaosou's aged body flew backward several tens of feet like a battered rag sack.
Luo Chen slowly withdrew his right hand, looking ahead with a slight furrow of his brow.
A crescent moon rose serenely.
A chilling luminescence enveloped the old man from head to toe.
As expected!
This all-out strike of his was something no ordinary Golden Core cultivator could withstand.
Even though Diaosou had hastily deployed a defensive magic treasure, Luo Chen had ruthlessly shattered it.
What truly preserved Diaosou's life was this pristine moonlight.
"A technique of Loose Cultivator Yue?" Luo Chen muttered to himself.
No wonder Diaosou still dared to attack him after he had thundered Ghost Spirit Child into oblivion; he had such a trump card up his sleeve!
"Cough, cough..."
Diaosou staggered to his feet, a flush surging through his iron-gray face before he could hold back no longer.
"Pfft!"
He spat a glob of clotted blood onto the ground, finally feeling some relief.
Never had he imagined that even under the protection of a True Person's power, that terrifying physical force could not be entirely dissipated. Crashing into his frail, aging physique, it felt as though he had been struck by lightning.
Had he not dabbled in body refinement in recent years and built a slight foundation, that single palm strike would have displaced his internal organs and inflicted severe injuries.
Looking from afar at the red-robed man holding the pavilion, Diaosou said coldly, "Demonic Lord Qingyang, this Penglai Octagonal Pavilion is specifically demanded by Loose Cultivator Yue. Are you not afraid of her holding you accountable afterward?"
Luo Chen's brows drew tight.
He had genuinely not expected this item to be personally sought by Loose Cultivator Yue.
He had thought it was merely an ordinary ambush to murder for treasure.
If others could do it, Luo Chen could certainly do it as well.
But once a True Person was involved—and one of the Three Great Loose Cultivators of the Northern Sea at that—matters became troublesome!
Seeing Luo Chen hesitate, Diaosou felt a slight relief and abandoned certain thoughts.
"Return the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion to me, and we will let bygones be bygones regarding your killing of Ghost Spirit Child. Furthermore, I will not speak a word of it to Loose Cultivator Yue."
Pressed by the authority of a Loose Cultivator's name, Diaosou's withered frame seemed to straighten once more.
Luo Chen froze in place.
Seeing him like this, Diaosou finally felt reassured.
He had truly never imagined Luo Chen would be this terrifying.
He had assumed Ghost Spirit Child lost only because the assault was too sudden for adequate preparation. But after clashing in person, he realized how monstrous the dormant power within this man truly was.
Ghost Spirit Child could not withstand a single kick.
And he, Diaosou, could not endure a single blow!
Even the set of magic treasures he relied upon for fame had suffered setback after setback.
The Sound-Capturing Bell was inexplicably ineffective against Luo Chen, while the Tiancan Thread was countered by that azure flame.
In such circumstances, even if he brought out his lifebound magic treasure, he might not fare any better.
He spat another mouthful of saliva mingled with residual blood.
Then, in a hoarse voice, he said slowly, "You need not doubt whether this old man is bluffing. The Lunar Protection upon me is the clearest proof. If you still disbelieve, you can ask Zihou."
Luo Chen looked toward the purple-robed woman.
She nodded slightly, her red lips parting. "It is indeed so. After we spotted traces of the Penglai Immortal Sect disciples, Loose Cultivator Yue issued this order. She herself is within this Land of the Fallen Demon and has already pursued her quarry into Mingzhaotian. Before departing, she specifically instructed us to secure the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion for her. Luo... Demonic Lord, do not bring ruin upon yourself!"
Under Luo Chen's overwhelming intimidation, the familiar titles of the past—whether "Fellow Daoist Luo Hai" or "Qingyangzi"—had all vanished.
Only the title of "Demonic Lord" remained.
This alone showed their terror of Luo Chen.
And now, it all hinged on Luo Chen's choice.
Facing the two apprehensive gazes, Luo Chen slowly raised his head to look at the octagonal pavilion held in his palm.
A True Artifact!
A portable spiritual herb garden!
Who knew how many rare spiritual herbs were stored inside?
Even if there was nothing else, there would at least be a patch of Divine Iris.
He had seen clearly when descending earlier: the hollow was in shambles, without even a few clumps of soil left behind. Clearly, the Penglai Immortal Sect disciples had uprooted all the Divine Iris here, sparing not an inch of earth.
Surrender a treasure already in his grasp?
Remembering that woman, Loose Cultivator Yue, Luo Chen hesitated.
Seeing Luo Chen hesitate, Diaosou struck while the iron was hot. "You lack the secret arts of Penglai and possess no techniques of a True Person. In your hands, this True Artifact cannot cut off worldly spiritual energy, nor can it shrink or expand at will. Carrying such a conspicuous object makes it impossible to move freely within the secret realm. Why stubbornly keep it?"
Luo Chen lifted his eyes slightly. "And you have a True Person's methods?"
"Naturally!" The moment the words left Diaosou's mouth, he realized something was amiss.
However, the strike he braced for did not come.
Luo Chen fell silent for a moment before waving his hand.
"Begone. For the sake of our past acquaintance, I do not wish to fight any further."
"But..."
"Scram!"
A furious bellow, surging with roaring dharmic power, boomed out.
Diaosou turned pale as a howling gale swept his grizzled hair straight back.
He raised a finger.
Smack!
"Zihou!"
Zihou gripped his arm and shook her head. "Let us go!"
Weighing the stakes, Diaosou shot Luo Chen a venomous glare.
In the end, he uttered no harsh words, simply mounting his escaping light alongside Zihou and skimming low into the distance.
...
After their departure, two streaks of escaping light landed in the hollow.
Stirring up dust, Cave Master Moyun's anxious voice rang out: "Since you made your move, you should have cut the weeds and pulled up the roots! Demonic Lord, why did your heart soften?"
Luo Chen cast a cold glance over. "How I conduct my affairs is not for you to dictate."
The cave master was left tongue-tied.
Taisui chuckled and shook his head. "It is not that the Demonic Lord was unwilling to strike, but that Diaosou still holds a True Person's means upon him. If it came to a fight to the death, even if the Demonic Lord won, it would be a pyrrhic victory at best. Am I right, Demonic Lord?"
The corner of Luo Chen's mouth twitched, but he offered no answer, evidently conceding the point.
In the moment Diaosou had raised his finger, Luo Chen had felt a distinct sense of foreboding.
Since Loose Cultivator Yue could grant Diaosou defensive protection, she naturally could have bestowed an offensive killing strike as well.
With Luo Chen's capabilities, in the absence of Loose Cultivator Yue herself, he might be able to withstand it, but only at tremendous cost.
Obtaining the Octagonal Pavilion at such an expense would clearly not be worth the loss.
As for Diaosou and his companion, even if they grievously injured Luo Chen, in a fight to the death, those relying on external objects could never compare to Luo Chen, who possessed vast innate divine abilities.
The ones more likely to die were themselves.
That was why Diaosou and Zihou had quietly accepted Luo Chen letting them leave.
Both sides had reason to be wary!
Cave Master Moyun's envious gaze fell upon the ninety-foot-tall pavilion with flared eaves and eight corners resting on the ground, his heart burning with desire.
This was a True Artifact!
A treasure every artifact crafter dreamed of.
Even if one could not master it, unraveling its principles might allow one to forge a replica.
Above all, it held a wealth of resources that could assist in forming a Nascent Soul.
"So, how do you intend to collect this treasure?" Taisui looked at Luo Chen with a smile. "Parading such a thing out in the open won't make the rest of the journey easy!"
A True Artifact could draw upon the wandering natural spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
In the hands of a Nascent Soul True Person, it could command the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for one's own use.
A Nascent Soul domain could seize control over the worldly spiritual energy of an area to suppress an enemy, but that was merely a crude form of control.
To truly make it serve one's will, one had to rely on a vessel.
A True Artifact—born of a magic treasure yet surpassing it, having undergone the baptism of lightning tribulations—was precisely such a vessel.
Yet such a tool was a double-edged sword.
For a Golden Core cultivator, it could be released, but not recalled.
Only a Nascent Soul True Person could stow it away at will.
Clearly, that suspicion in Taisui's heart flared once again: Demonic Lord Qingyang concealed another entity within him, one at the Nascent Soul realm.
If that figure intervened to assist now, Taisui would be able to discern their secrets, making subsequent actions far easier.
Under the chubby cultivator's piercing gaze, Luo Chen suddenly chuckled softly.
"A simple matter!"
Taisui froze.
Immediately after, Luo Chen tapped the spirit beast bags at his waist.
Black King and Tianxuan abruptly materialized.
"Protect me!"
"Understood!"
Two voices replied in unison.
The two beasts then revealed their true forms, ushering Taisui and Moyun back.
Such vigilant precautions signaled that the commotion to follow would be anything but small.
The two glanced at each other, watching the figure in the hollow from afar.
Luo Chen opened his mouth and spat out a small gray cauldron. It whirled through the air and expanded with the wind, swelling to a colossal size of a thousand feet in an instant.
Looming like a small mountain, it completely enveloped the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion.
Taisui thought with hesitation, "Is that his lifebound magic treasure? But he is a fire method cultivator, so his lifebound magic treasure must be predominantly fire-attribute. Even if it possesses some suppressive power, it shouldn't be able to fully subdue this Penglai Octagonal—"
In the very next moment, something that horrified Taisui unfolded.
The massive gray cauldron erupted with crimson light, sealing off the interior from the exterior.
The Penglai Octagonal Pavilion resisted, bursting with dazzling, multicolored rays of light.
Yet at that very moment, other lights flared in succession across the great gray cauldron.
Gold, green, blue, and yellow flooded forth, mingling with the initial red—all five elements in complete harmony!
"Damn it, I forgot about this!"
Cave Master Moyun looked on with envy. "It truly is that cauldron! When I saw it back in the Blazing Purgatory, this old man sensed the presence of all five elements within it. I never expected Demonic Lord Qingyang to not only excel in artifact crafting, but also possess such mastery in manipulating magic treasures, devising the method of countering the five elements with the five elements in mere moments."
Sure enough, as the five colors circulated within the Hunyuan Cauldron, it resonated in harmony with the shrouded Penglai Octagonal Pavilion.
From initial repulsion to smooth integration, an underlying accord gradually emerged.
Yet as Taisui watched for a moment, a sneer crept onto the corner of his lips.
"The Penglai Immortal Sect's heirloom True Artifact—how could it lack secret protective measures? How could it be so easily subdued!"
"This Penglai Octagonal Pavilion is no mere five-attribute treasure; it possesses eight attributes!"
Beyond the five colors, three more radiances—white, cyan, and silver—erupted into brilliance.
In an instant, they breached the Hunyuan Cauldron's suppression.
In the hollow, Luo Chen's heart sank slightly as he watched.
"Senior, something has gone awry."
Han Zhan's voice sounded in his ear, laden with relaxed amusement.
"No matter. Have you forgotten what materials were incorporated when the Hunyuan Cauldron was forged?"
Luo Chen started.
Gradually, a smile spread across his face.
Indeed!
How had he forgotten that?
This lifebound magic treasure of his had consumed his entire life savings before it was finally forged.
When it came to foundation, it was not necessarily inferior to the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion.
It was merely three additional attributes.
If the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion had them, so did he!
Perhaps he could not stimulate them in the past, but after years of sacrificial refinement and the nurturing of the Dragon Raising Basin, the impurities had been nearly exhausted. It was time for it to reveal its true brilliance.
With a thought, his Golden Core dharmic power surged into the Hunyuan Cauldron.
Instantly, silver arcs of lightning crackled—the power of the millennium thunder essence!
Then a frigid white radiance flared—the power of the Ice Soul Marrow from the Ice Fort.
With a sudden shift, a ghostly gale surged forth—the Green Duckweed Nether Wind that Tianyezi had specially blended into it during its forging.
At this point, the eight attributes stood in equal rivalry!
On the whole, the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion was indeed a True Artifact, possessing greater intrinsic might.
Yet it was water without a source, whereas the Hunyuan Cauldron was commanded by Luo Chen, backed by an endless supply of dharmic power.
Moving forward, with just a bit more time, he could steadily grind down its outward aura and sever it from the worldly spiritual energy outside.
Before long, this True Artifact would be his to keep.
Outside the hollow, Taisui watched the scene unfold. The sneer on his lips slowly withered away, replaced by an ashen scowl.
Chapter 678